Believe It Or Not, Study Shows That Cats Can Understand Physics

Whether it be the cat's soft purr, piercing eyes or the cute way it rolls on the floor, most people can't help getting smitten by the feline's alluring demeanor. The first cat cafe opened in Taiwan and have spread across the world, reaching the shores of the United States. A visit to a cat cafe would already give birth to a ton of questions on how these felines think and becomes a precursor to the way they behave.

A Japanese study examined 30 cats in cat cafes in order to better understand a house cat's behavior. As per Christian Science Monitor, the researchers tested the cat's knowledge of physics and its application of the cause-and-effect logic

The research team was curious why cats like to listen to objects surrounding them. The theory is that when cats pause and listen, they are trying to locate their next meal (via Christian Science Monitor).

The researchers visited cat cafes in Japan and individually tested felines on an isolated room. The room must only house the cat, its owner, and the experimenter with his/her instrument, a container. The container would be shaken by the experimenter with a rattling sound and the cats would respond with interest. When the container was shaken without a sound, the feline would appear disillusioned, confused why the sound didn't match with the way it looked.

Each experiment on each cafe was videotaped and analyzed by the research team. They took note of the cat's  stare on both instances when there was a sound and no sound (via Christian Science Monitor).

As per the study, the cats understood the concept of gravity. According to Newton's Law of Gravity, there is an attractive force between two bodies that relies on the product of the bodies' masses and the distance between the two. Newton's three laws of motion state that an object remains at its current motion unless an external force is applied, the direction of the force would be the same direction the object would move to and for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

The cats understood these facts so they expected that the container would make a sound when it's moved and that something will come out of it because there was a sound made. When the experiment seemed to defy the law of physics, the cats knew something was not right.

Cats are much more than what meets the eye. Perhaps the fondness and curiosity these cats awaken in people have led cat cafes to open in the world. In America, as reported by Petcha, the first permanent cat cafe opened on 2014 in Oakland by Adam Myatt and Ann Dunn who housed 10 to 20 adoptable cats. More followed on the same year, opening in Florida, Colorado and New York.

Have you already visited a cat cafe? To check where they've been opening in North America, Eater has plotted a map for cat lovers out there. If you get to visit one, feel free to share your experience with the felines on the Comments section below and follow Parent Herald for more news and updates.